SOCIAL

Victim of 'Muslim Patrol' anti-gay abuse found

The man who was filmed being abused as a ‘bloody fag’ by a vigilante ‘Muslim Patrol’ has come forward after a police appeal.

The man was just one of the victims who was harassed in the east London borough of Tower Hamlets. Videos of the abuse, which was also directed at women and those drinking alcohol, were posted on YouTube.

Police wanted to trace the man who was filmed being ordered to leave the ‘Muslim area’ in Tower Hamlets by the vigilantes because he is a ‘fag’.

Investigating officers launched a press appeal to trace the man and the case was widely covered by UK media, including on national TV news. He has now come forward and police interviewed him today (28 January).

The abuse was thought to involve a small number of individuals and has been condemned by the Muslim community, including the local mosque that called it ‘utterly unacceptable’.

Five men, aged from 17 to 29, have been arrested.

‘The Metropolitan Police Service takes these incidents very seriously and is pursuing various lines of enquiry with a view to identifying and prosecuting the individuals concerned,’ a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said.

Anyone with information relevant to the investigation is asked to contact police at [email protected] for the attention of DI Cliff Jones, DS Chris Bagshaw, DC Stacey Yarker or to report it to police via 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.